


I'm The Better Choice

by WhimsyNeptune



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2018-12-10 17:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11696301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsyNeptune/pseuds/WhimsyNeptune
Summary: What if when Emma and Regina realized who Lily was, things took a different twist? SWANQUEEN!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, the main things that will be different from canon are the fact that Emma and Hook have broken up. Also, that Robin and Regina were never together because Regina didn't believe Tinkerbell due to her being more in love with Emma than she ever had been with anyone else.

Once Regina and Emma were in Lily's car chasing her down the road, reality hit Regina like a ton of bricks. Emma's long-lost best friend was the one, and only Maleficent's long lost daughter. Nothing ever went right for the blonde, something they both had in common. She felt sad that the one person Emma cared about as a child had betrayed her then, and still was doing so now. Everyone screws Emma over, another thing they share. But were Regina's feelings shared too? As Emma slammed on the brakes, Regina braced herself with one hand on the dash, before following Emma's lead and exiting the car.

Emma looked furious with the young brunette.

"Hey! HEY! You know! You know everything! Did you know when We were kids?!" Emma asked accusingly.

"Of course not!" The brunette said irritably.

"And now?" Asked the blonde.

"Yeah, I learned it all," Lily admitted.

Emma looked exasperated, and Regina felt awful seeing her so distressed. "How?!" Emma asked, a little above a whisper.

"Does it really matter? It doesn't change anything! You screwed me over before we were even born!"

Emma looked hurt by the incompetent brunette's hateful statement, and Regina had to fight the urge to attack the woman from behind.

"I had no more say in what happened than you did!" Emma declared.

Lily stepped closer to her. "I know, I'm sorry." Regina felt so uncomfortable with how close Lily was getting to the woman she loved that she felt like she would get sick, but Regina said nothing; it wasn't her place. Emma wasn't hers, and she knew that.

"It-it's okay." Emma stuttered. Regina could clearly tell that Emma wasn't expecting this type of reaction from the worthless brunette. They were both expecting some sort of epic showdown.

"I'm sorry for ruining your chance at a family back then. I just, I always ruin things, but when I'm with you, everything gets, I don't know... better, somehow." Regina can instantly sense where this is going. She slowly, and cautiously approaches them, while Lily continues. "I love you, Emma, I always have. I never thought that I'd get to see you again. When I figured out who our parents were, and what had happened, I instantly started plotting revenge, for us both. But if you can forgive them all, and the Evil Queen, then I can too."

Regina's heart fell, why couldn't she have just grown up, and admitted to Emma how she felt? If she had, Emma could have possibly agreed to go out with her, and they might even be a couple right now, meaning that she wouldn't have serious competition at this moment. She decided to stop what was happening. "Emma, don't fall for this. You're better than this." Regina says, convincing herself she's doing this for Emma, and not herself. After all, Emma JUST had a bad break up... six months ago...

Lily looked over, and smirked at the mayor, before turning around, and blindsiding Emma with a kiss. Emma froze, with her eyes wide open. Regina's heart stopped. She had to convince Emma not to decide to be with Lily; her heart couldn't handle the thought. She yanked Lily away from the woman she loved and stood in front of her looking deeply into her eyes. "Emma, you deserve better than her. Just take her back to Storybrooke with us, and reunite her with her mother. She's no good for you; you can do so, so much better." Regina said.

"Regina, my true love died. Who else could I possibly find that could love me like him?" Emma asked. "Hook, and I.. We didn't make sense. We were never happy. It makes sense, Lily, and I.. We definitely do have a history and an undeniable connection through fate. Even though I'm not a le-"

Regina mustered up the courage to interrupt Emma by grabbing her face with both hands and pulling her into a kiss. Emma froze again, eyes wide open, just like with Lily, but Emma began to actually kiss Regina back. Regina smiled internally at knowing she had just one-upped Lily in the fight for Emma's love, but mostly at the feeling of Emma's soft, warm, and luscious lips against hers, the taste of her chap-stick was marvelous. The sensation of the butterflies that kissing Emma gave her, and the way her heart danced in her chest, was astounding. She never wanted this to end, but she knew it would eventually, so she was determined to enjoy it while it lasted because this was most likely a once in a lifetime opportunity. She licked Emma's bottom lip with a yearning, she had never before felt, begging for access to the blonde's tongue, and Emma granted it. Regina's tongue began to explore every available inch of Emma's mouth, their lips, tongues, and teeth crashing together. Then, suddenly, Emma pulled back, still stunned. "oh." She muttered, staring down at her feet. She looked over to the woman that Regina was beginning to hate more, and more as each second passed. "I'm not interested, Lily."

Regina smiled. Emma preferred her over Lily. That was the greatest feeling in the world. She chose Regina. Her heart was full. That was until Emma spoke again. "Thanks, Regina. That was probably the last thing you would have ever wanted to do." Emma chuckled. "I promise I will take that to my grave." Regina uttered a fake smile and walked back to Emma's Slug Bug, getting in the backseat, unable to sit next to Emma at that moment. They drove back to Storybrooke and introduced Maleficent to her daughter. Regina felt sick, though, because Emma didn't realize that when Regina kissed her, she was putting out her heart for her. She didn't realize that when they were kissing it was complete bliss for the brunette. She didn't realize that Regina was madly in love with her.

* * *

 

As soon as Regina got home after the occurrences of the day, she got out her apple cider and started to sip her pain away, until she heard a knock at her front door. Regina then got up to answer it, confused as to who would be visiting her after all the events of the day. She opened the door and saw the one and only Emma Swan. "Emma? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"I just wanted to come by and thank you for earlier. I would have fallen right into that trap of lies again." Emma said looking embarrassed for some reason. "I just never really thought about how alone I was. I mean, I know I have my parents and Henry and now you... I think, but I just don't think that I will ever find love again."

Regina's heart fell into her stomach. Emma really did think of her as just a friend. "Is that all, Miss Swan?"

Emma looked at her, confusion and disappointment consuming her face. "I guess this is a bad time since I'm 'Miss Swan' again." She said as she flicked her wrist and disappeared in a cloud of white dust.

Regina sighed. She was just going to have to get this out of the way and admit that she was in love with her former Arch Nemesis's daughter. She magicked herself to the sheriff's station, no Emma. She then magicked herself to the Docks and found the Blonde Sheriff on one of the benches. "Emma?"

Emma turned and frowned. "I'm sorry Regina, I know I was stupid today, with letting Lily get to me and all. But I didn't think you'd be so mad. You didn't have to kiss me you know. We've never even hugged so I'm sure that would have gotten through to me just as well. I really am sorry, Regina."

Regina frowned. Emma wasn't mad at her; she felt guilty thinking that Regina had felt obligated to kiss her to snap her out of it. "I didn't want to hug you," Regina admitted, hoping that Emma would catch on to what she was implying, but of course, Emma was Emma.

"Well, kissing is more intimate than a hug, contrary to what you've been told apparently." Emma almost chuckled but didn't. "I know that I came here and ruined your perfect little set up a few years ago, but I thought we got passed that 'hating each other' stage, I thought we were friends. I thought that by now we could at least bear the thought of hugging each other. I have no problem with hugging you. Yet, for some reason you do... I know you felt like you had to save me from Lily's lies today, but if you can't even hug me, you shouldn't have forced yourself to kiss me." Emma finished.

Regina's heart shattered, Emma indeed was broken right now, and she couldn't help but feel responsible. Regina then spoke with palpable desperation in her voice "I have to force myself _not_ to hug you every time I see you." She admitted.

Emma looked at her confused. "Regina, you can hug me whenever you'd like."

Regina's heart fluttered, and her stomach danced with butterflies at the blonde's offer, but she knew that the Sheriff had no idea what she was truly offering. "No, Emma. I can't because I would never stop hugging you." She looked at the blonde woman with pleading eyes that were begging her to understand what she wasn't yet brave enough to say. Emma stood up and walked over to Regina, and stretching out her arms.

"Well, if you want to hug me right now, you have permission because I could use a hug from you after everything that happened today." Regina's breath hitched in her throat, and she quietly gulped it back down as she closed the gap between her and Emma, and hugged her tightly.

"I love you, Emma," Regina said without being able to control herself. She froze waiting for Emma's reply, hoping that Emma wouldn't hate her, or maybe just not acknowledge the fact that Regina had just admitted her truest and deepest secret. Regina heard Emma's chuckle and pulled back furrowing her brows confusedly at the sheriff. "What's so funny?"

"I love you too Gina," The sheriff said. "It's like you were terrified to say it to me." She was smiling at the brunette, and Regina was confident that Emma had misunderstood the type of love that the brunette had just professed.

"You love me too?" She asked quietly. Emma nodded with a smile and Regina continued to speak. "I was scared to say it."

Emma laughed this time. "Oh, Regina, of course, I love you, we're best friends! You can't be best friends without loving each other like sisters! You don't have to worry about telling me anything. I would never judge you or let anything come between us."

Regina gulped. "Promise?" Emma nodded. "Okay. Emma Swan, I am deeply in love with you, and I kissed you today because seeing Lily kiss you made my gut twist and heart wrench in ways that hurt unfathomably and I needed to let you finally know that I am an option. I will always be an option." Emma looked up at her in shock, and Regina gulped. Her heart was speeding.

"Oh." The blonde said still having a shocked expression on her face.

"I-I should probably let you digest what I've just told you. It's a lot to take in." Regina said shakily. As she turned to walk away, Emma grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"You really love me?" Emma asked in a small voice. Regina nodded trying to reassure her.

"You know that you can always tell when I'm lying. It's your 'superpower' as you say." Regina smiled a weak half smile trying to reassure the blonde that whatever happens right now it okay.

"I know. I just. It's hard to wrap my head around. Is that why you didn't believe Tinkerbell about Robin Hood? Was it honestly because you were in love with me?" Regina nodded shamefully and lowered her head to stare at the ground. Emma wrapped the brunette in her arms and held her tight for a long minute. "I won't pretend that I am in love with you, Regina, but I do think that we have something special and we do have a connection stronger than just both being Henry's parents. I believe wholeheartedly that if we took this and started working on it, I could be."

Regina felt her entire body relax. There was no reason for her to worry, Emma was willing to try. She was amenable to commit to her, and give this a serious go. She pulled away slightly from the blonde sheriff's embrace and looked at her in the eyes while she asked the blonde the next question. "Emma Swan, would you give me a chance, and start a relationship with me?"

Emma smiled widely. "Yes, Regina Mills. I would like that a lot."


	2. Chapter 2

Regina was on her way to Granny's for her lunch date with Emma. It has been a month since that emotional evening at the docks. The reality of having Emma Swan as her secret girlfriend was something that gave her an inapprehensible amount of exultation. She couldn't assimilate how euphoric she genuinely was. She knew that Emma wasn't in love with her, but Emma had feelings for her and had chosen to be with her, and only her. That fact was enough to give Regina butterflies in her stomach and make her heart flutter in her chest. She and Emma had been going on dates disguised as "working lunches" about three times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. (Fridays couldn't work because The Blonde had family dinner with her incompetent parents and her precious little brother.) They also had family dinner with the two of them and Henry every Thursday as well. Regina smiled at that. Family dinner. _Family_. Emma and Henry truly were her family, and she hoped it would last for eternity.

No one knew about their newly instated relationship; it had been both of their decisions to keep things surreptitious until they were sure that things weren't going to spiral to a devastating end. Regina was sure that it wouldn't, but she understood, and wouldn't tell Emma that. She wanted Emma to come to the same conclusion on her own terms without feeling pressured, because when you urge Emma to do something she will feel obligated to please you, and that is not at all what she wanted from Emma. She wanted true, uninfluenced, and raw love from her. Regina would do nothing to compromise the progress she'd made to earn all of that from the blonde. She knew that she would have to prove to Emma that she was serious about this relationship before the walls surrounding her enormous golden heart that Emma had built over the years to protect herself began to open up and let Regina in. Regina could tell that she was close, but she didn't know how close. Emma has not said the three magic words yet. Regina craved to hear them said to her by the beautiful blonde Sheriff, but she knew that if the moment was right, and Emma finally did fall for her completely, she would hear them. So she would wait until she did, no matter how long it took.

As Regina stepped into the diner, she immediately froze in place as she saw the woman she loved fist fighting with the woman who had introduced her into the act of lesbianism.

Emma was fist fighting Maleficent.

The Savior… and the Dragon Queen... Fist fighting… Now she could die and say she had finally seen everything.

She snapped out of it and ran straight over to the two blondes placing herself in between the two magically capable women in an attempt to separate them… a failed attempt as Emma just disappeared in a cloud of white smoke and reappeared seconds later behind Maleficent hitting the Dragon over the head with a metal waitress tray, successfully knocking the older woman unconscious. Regina had to admit… it was sweltering.

"What on earth was all that about, dear?" Regina asked.

"WHY THE HELL IS SHE SAYING SHE SLEPT WITH YOU!?" Emma was out of breath, her eyes were fiery with rage, and her scowl could give Regina's a run for her money.

Regina was terrified; she had told Emma that she was her first, so the blonde must currently think that Regina had stepped out on her, and most certainly will be furious that Regina had previously lied to Emma about her being the only woman she had ever been with.

"I-I. S-sh.." Regina couldn't even form a complete sentence; she was so terrified that Emma would leave her because of all of this. She feared that the Blonde would feel as if Regina could no longer be trusted.

"WHAT REGINA!? WHY IS SHE SAYING THIS SHIT!? WHY IS SHE SAYING THAT YOU ARE GOING TO LEAVE ME FOR HER?! WHY IS SHE SAYING SHE SLEPT WITH YOU!? WHY IS SHE EVEN HERE AND WHO THE FUCK DOES SHE THINK SHE IS!?"

"I-I did sleep with her, but I-"

Emma cut her off. "WHY!? BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SLEPT WITH YOU YET?! BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SAID THAT I LOVED YOU YET?! BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE THAT WE WERE MEANT TO BE FROM THE BEGINNING LIKE YOU SUPPOSEDLY WERE!?"

Regina was choking back tears. "No! Emma! It was years ago! It was before I had even met Daniel. It was before I met your Grandfather. Before I met you! I could never cheat on you!" Her voice had gradually gotten smaller and smaller as the confession continued and Regina could see the anger in Emma's eyes dissipate and steadily be replaced by hurt.

"Y-you lied to me?"

Regina gulped the lump in her throat as she tried to take a cautious step in Emma's direction, but stopped when she noticed that Emma mimicked her movement by taking a step back. "Em, please. I would never cheat on you, and I hadn't meant to lie to you. Please, baby. You can trust me. It was such a long time ago. So, so very long ago, and I didn't see the point in re-hatching the past. Please, Em-"

Emma interrupted her, shaking her head furiously. "I knew it! I knew it." She looked Regina in the eyes with an emotion that Regina couldn't make out. "This was a mistake." She then disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. Regina's heart felt like it had just been ripped out of her chest, torn in half, and danced on. She collapsed to the ground. She knew the blonde valued honesty and loyalty in friendships and relationships more than anything else. She also knew that it was hard to gain Emma's trust, and once you lost it, almost impossible to earn back. Which is why she didn't know how she could be so stupid as to lie to the one woman she knew would never accept a lying partner... That is, after all, why she had dumped Hook all those months ago.


	3. Chapter 3

Regina was sobbing on the floor of Granny's Diner. She couldn't believe how idiotic she had been to think that she could lie, and get away with it. Why had she even lied, to begin with? Telling Emma that she had slept with another woman in the past wasn't going to harm their relationship. Now she would lose the one woman she loved with all of her heart because she had been deceitful for absolutely no reason. She felt terrible. She sat there with her head tilted towards the floor, tears spilling down her face until she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. She paused for a split second as hope filled her heart that the hand was Emma's. The former mayor finally got the strength to look over her shoulder and instantly jerked up and away.

It wasn't the woman she was in love with; it was the woman who had caused all of the problems to arise today. She then felt vexation course through her body. "You should have stayed unconscious you nasty bitch!" She screamed as she conjured up fireballs in both of her hands and thrust them towards the Dragon's head. The white-haired woman quickly dodged them with a Machiavellian smirk. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! WE GAVE YOU BACK YOUR DAUGHTER, WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT FROM ME?!" This time the witch frowned.

"I didn't realize that things were actually real between you, I thought things were like they were when we were…" The Dragon Lady, paused thinking of what they had been before, she couldn't quite figure out what term would best describe their fling. "Friends?" She asked with her lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, clearly still thinking. "With benefits?" She finished.

Regina was infuriated with the blonde. "I AM IN LOVE WITH HER! I HAVE BEEN FOR FOUR YEARS! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU RUINED MY ALREADY TERRIBLE MARRIAGE, AND THEN YOU GO AND RUIN THE ONE THING THAT ACTUALLY MADE ME HAPPY!?" She then summoned her magic and pinned Maleficent against the wall while simultaneously choking her. The mayor just stood there in a trance as the woman in front of her started to turn blue. She felt a soft hand on her forearm pushing it down.

She immediately snapped out of her trance as she realized who was before her. "Emma?" She whispered, remorse and pain filling her voice.

"It's me, Regina, let her go," Emma said in a gentle voice.

"You came back?" Regina whispered. She felt her hope regenerate inside her all over again.

Emma nodded "Regina. You are about to kill her. You don't want to be that person again, do you? Because that's not who you are anymore. You aren't the Evil Queen anymore. Please, Regina."

Regina immediately dropped the now-unconscious woman to the floor and fell to her knees, hugging Emma's waist tightly and placing her cheek against Emma's belly. "Emma.. baby, please. Please give me another chance. I love you. I love you so, so much and I know you don't love me yet, but I want to make you love me. Please, please stay. I'm begging you. I will never hide ANYTHING from you ever, EVER again. I will tell you the 100% honest truth. Just please, don't leave me. I can't live without you; this can't be the end. It just can't be." Regina sobbed into Emma's middle. They both stayed like that, just crying. Regina, crying because she had betrayed Emma's trust and wasn't sure she'd ever earn it back, and Emma, crying because she hated knowing that Regina had kept a secret from her and not knowing if she could trust her apology now.

After a few long minutes, Regina was still on her knees crying and hugging Emma's waist. "I'm so sorry, Emma. Please. I love you." She whispers into Emma's abdomen.

"I love you too," Emma whispered back.

Regina jumped up to her feet at that with wide eyes and looked at Emma, searching for any sign that she was lying, or playing an incredibly cruel joke, but she saw none. "Y-you.." She trailed off when she realized she was too shocked to be able to speak in coherent sentences. Emma caught on and rescued the brunette from fumbling with her words.

"Yes, Regina, I love you! God, I love you so much. I was going to tell you today on our date. I was going to tell you that I was ready to go public." Emma chuckled and shook her head. "Which we clearly already did," Emma said gesturing to the crowded diner and all the townspeople staring at the two. Regina gave them a death glare, and they all looked away at once. "When I saw her, and she started making lewd jokes about you, I confronted her, she then told me about your past and how she was going to steal you back, and I lost it. I love you so much that I actually beat someone up for you. I've never done that for anyone. I do love you, Regina. Very much. Just please, don't ever keep something from me again" Emma smiled at the brunette who stood there with a hesitant look on her face. The brunette nodded in agreement as her face went from dubious to shocked.

Regina finally got the courage to speak. "W-will you be my girlfriend again, Emma Swan?" Emma smiled as she nodded at the brunette, making Regina smile a wide goofy smile. "M-may I kiss you… Here.. Right now?" She asked nervously, her voice shaking.

Emma smiled just as widely as the first time Regina asked her to be her girlfriend. "Yes, Regina Mills. I'd like that a lot."

~The End

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of the first stories I've ever written and posted, back on FF.Net about four months ago. I've tried to edit all the mistakes as much as possible, but I know it won't be perfect. Be gentle in the comments, please.


End file.
